The King's Surrender
by MissGoose
Summary: The latest music piece for Yuri Katsuki's next performance called for emotions very different from what he was used to expressing. It was up to Victor to clear away the confusion blocking Yuri's path. / Some details in this story clash a bit with the anime, but take this as an alternate ending? Sure!
1. Chapter 1

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Chapter One

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"Exciting news for all you Yuri Katsuki fans out there. This morning, we learned the title of his next feature; _The King's Surrender._ There has already been a lot of debate in our studio about the possible meanings behind the title, but no one will know how the melody speaks to our city's favorite figure skater until we see the performance. Who's excited?!"

Yuri turned off the radio and slouched back in his computer chair. As excited as everyone seemed to be about his next performance, he knew he was bound to disappoint them all if things continued as they had been. He was spending too much time debating the performance those days and not enough time practicing.

His cell phone buzzed on his computer desk from an incoming call. The name on the screen read _Victor Nikiforov_. The one person he didn't want to talk to was calling him, of course. It wasn't like he was mad at his coach, but he wasn't exactly in a well state of mind to talk to the man. In the end, he answered because he knew it would be even worse if he ignored the call.

"Hey," his greeting was as soft as ever.

"So, my dear, Yuri, guess what!" Victor shouted as if they were actually trying to talk across several countries rather than on the phone.

"What?" Yuri asked with the corner of his lip popping up. He looked at the promise ring on his finger and blushed. He knew their rings were only meant to be symbols of their relationship as a couch and student, but he permitted himself a bit of a fantasy from time to time. The feelings the man brought into his life were so much stronger than the feelings any other person, male or female, had been able to give him.

"My meetings with all the groups are now over!" he said in a slightly calmer tone. A giggle sounded after his words. "In fact, I'm going to be boarding a plane in a little while and be at your place before morning!"

"Oh," Yuri leaned back in his seat and ran his hand down his face, "that's great."

A bit of silence on the other end of the line was all he heard as response, at first. "Are you okay, Yuri?"

"Yeah," he said with a small laugh as a way to try and clear away the awkwardness he had created. "I'm just a little worn out as of late. The rough balance between not sleeping well and increasing my practicing wasn't a problem at first, but it's starting to catch up with me."

"Well, that's not good," Victor grumbled. A muffled noise sounded in the background. He assumed Victor was called to by a person nearby. "I'm going to have to go for now. It's time for me to get on the plane. Yuri, get some sleep and we can work through whatever problem you are facing when I get there. As your coach, it's my job to help you through this."

"Yeah, thanks," Yuri said and gave a half-hearted smile. It wasn't as if he was ungrateful for Victor choosing to stay his coach while starting his skating career once again. Far from it. He knew the challenges the man now took on were nothing compared to what was running through Yuri's beat up heart. He bit on his lip gently as he felt his desire rise simply because he was thinking about Victor's smiling face. If he wanted to fix the mess, all he had to do was figure out how to calm whatever war was going on inside his skull. "I hope you have a safe flight."

"Thanks, sweetie!" Victor chimed through the call. "I'll see you when I get there and you better be in bed. If you aren't asleep, I'll be very upset. Bye now!"

And there it was. The confusion wasn't something he had created inside his own head. No, the confusion was brought on by the mix of words always flying out of his coach's mouth. The different titles of adoration that he expressed to him. Using words like _sweetie, dear, precious_ , or his most favorite _darling_. Victor was causing Yuri more trouble than anything. Mainly due to the fact Yuri had no idea where their relationship stood. Was it nothing more than an intense care as student and coach? Was it only a show for all others to find them more appealing? Was there anything serious behind his actions? What the hell did Victor mean with all the touches he took when they were working alone? Yuri continued to think those confusing thoughts for a couple hours.

A little while later he was completing his second run for the day with the thoughts still haunting him. Well, it was more of an evening run since darkness covered the skies. Most people were probably sleeping peacefully in their beds with their happy dreams and quiet minds. Yuri collapsed onto a wooden bench outside a walkway lading to the beach. It seemed as if it were only a short while ago when he began skating again thanks to Victor's lead as a coach. Where would he be if the man hadn't stepping into his life to kick him back on the ice? Probably working at his family's place and never finding the passion to be back on the ice. Yuri let out a final sigh before he moved to run back home. Life wasn't as grand as he had originally thought it was meant to be.

Yuri was woken the next morning not by the welcoming smell of breakfast, but rather by a warm batch of stinky saliva.

"Ugh, get off me, Makkachin," Yuri grumbled for a moment before he realized what he had said. His eyes popped open to see Victor sitting on the small cushion next to Yuri's bed. It was hard to believe he was so dead through the night he hadn't heard the man enter his room. Realizing his coach was by his side made his heart skip a beat before it began to pound some irrational rhythm in his chest. "Vi…Victor!"

Victor laughed as Yuri flung his body off his bed and into Victor's arms. It had felt as if they had been apart for far too long. Victor ran his hand against his student's head. Yuri tightened his arm around the body in his hold and buried his face into his coach's shoulder. Their embrace lasted for what felt like a lifetime.

"I told you I was coming, dear," Victor said with a smile as they finally pulled apart.

"How late was it when you called?" Yuri spoke with a sarcastic tone to his voice. "You know my head starts going a little insane when it gets too late."

"True." He laughed as he thought back to the few times Yuri had been unable to sleep and the outrageous conversations they had during those restless nights. "I took the liberty of checking out your notes for your latest showing."

Yuri groaned and let his face fall into his hands out of embarrassment. He was hoping he could hold off revealing his failed accomplishments for a bit longer. There wasn't a solid reason for him being unable to come up with the right moves, but there was some mountain blocking his way.

"You have a lot of clever ideas for the opening, but I think you aren't really hearing the music as it should be heard," Victor said and moved to his feet. He approached Yuri's notes scattered on his computer desk and scratched at his chin as he took everything in. There were a lot of clever ideas but none of them fit the tune. "I think you're trying to hold back your creativity."

"What do you mean?" Yuri asked looking up to the man from his seat on the floor. Victor's words were the main reasons he looked forward to every moment they got together or even spoke on the phone. He was such a wise man and his pride was the thing Yuri lacked more often than not.

"When the music opens how does it sound to you?"

Yuri closed his eyes and imagined the hard hits of the piano running straight into the fast tempo of a drum beat. "It sounds quick and hurried. Like someone rushing through a decision or trying to make it to the last minute sale. Maybe even the start of a battle?"

Victor chuckled because he should have known. The music written for his student was not something the young man was. Instead, the music was written for what the man needed to become. The musician was placing a challenge before their team without even realizing it. The image the world carried of Yuri was far from the way Yuri saw himself. It was now in Vitor's hands to fix that view.

"Get ready," Victor said and smiled down to the man on the floor with his dog. An image he could grow accustomed to if he chose to let himself. "We have a lot of work to do."


	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter Two

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Victor held Yuri's hands to keep them together as he moved backwards on the ice. Their eyes remained locked as they began their practice at a slow pace. A small smile from Victor was all it took to make the face before him light up to an outstanding crimson color.

It amazed Victor to see the different feelings Yuri carried when he was on the ice. When he was by himself, he was afraid of everything he did and made mistakes time and time again. But when an audience was there, he almost always nailed each position perfectly. Victor could close his eyes at any moment and picture the cocky smile he was often given from the man when he was performing. It was obvious, the king needed attention to make everything work. Victor laughed as he took their movements to a stop.

"What?" Yuri's expression grew confused to the amusement in his coach's eyes. The crimson shade barely left his face through their entire run.

"Oh, nothing but a silly thought," Victor said and waved his hand over his shoulder as if he were tossing the very thought aside. He knew it was now or never and he had to act quickly. He needed to shock the show out of Yuri. And he thought up the perfect way to do it.

Victor quickly grabbed Yuri's hips and pulled their bodies together in a snap. The motion was heavy enough to shake Yuri's mind out of all the thoughts dancing in his own head and into the moment they were sharing. The quick contact of their hips being forced together made a chill dance up both of their spines. A chill that they both knew had to be created from something much more than the cold. Victor moved his face close to Yuri's ear. His lips brushed against Yuri's skin as he spoke. "I chose you to be my king and you better not fail me now."

Victor threw his arms in the air and raced away from where the two had been embraced. His separation from Yuri was the only signal Yuko needed to start the music. She did her very best not to fawn over the obvious attractions which were expressed on the ice. Their relationship was confusing to most, but she wasn't an idiot since she was given the privilege to see their moments together on the ice time and time again.

 _The King's Surrender_ began with a strong sort of crash on a piano as if a king was knocking down the doors to his own party. Yuri straightened his posture as if he were the proud king. He had originally thought the music was about a king's surrender at war. But what if it was something so much more?

Victor smiled from where he stood as if he knew the second Yuri connected the truth to the music. Yuri's proud stance and sudden dash into action made Victor's heart soar. Those were the moments when he truly loved working with his favorite student. Witnessing the times of success and holding the ability to kick Yuri forward through the times of doubt was what it was all about. As Yuri continued to skate through the music, Yuko approached Victor to speak with him.

"Do you know how long he's been struggling to get the simple start figured out?" she asked as she leaned forward to rest her chin in her open hand.

"I don't," Victor admitted and let out a sigh so soft Yuko barely caught the sound. "He never speaks to me about what's bothering him unless we're on the ice. That's why I pulled him here this morning. I could tell something was bouncing around in his head even when we were speaking over the phone while I was away. It was so hard not to beg him to tell me."

"Maybe you should," she said as she thought back to her moments with Yuri on the ice many years ago. "He is a shy person and doesn't like having others worry about him. In fact, that was probably the very reason he never acted on any of his crushes."

Victor's eyes sparkled to her words. "You know about his romantic history? Oh, do tell!"

She laughed as she thought about how little there was to share on the matter. "More like lack there of. I was vaguely aware of his crush on me when we were young, but he never found the courage to step up and ask. He missed his chance with me and lost out to Takeshi because he didn't step up. There were a few others he crushed on but I don't think any of them were as strong as the crush he holds now."

"Who is that?" Victor asked with excitement and wonder in his eyes. He would do anything to help his student get through whatever love trials he was about to face. What else was he there for? Well, other than helping him on the ice.

"Do you really need me to answer that question?" Yuko gave him a smirk and walked away with a wave as Yuri's music was reaching the end. Victor returned all of his attention to the man on the ice as his motions ended. The final move of the piece was Yuri positioned in a bow as if he were finally dropping his confidence for the enemy before him. Victor let out a sigh and covered his face. What if he wasn't surrendering to an enemy but rather to a love?

Victor rolled his eyes behind his hands and shook his head. How could he have been so blind? He heard heavy breaths nearing him as Yuri approached.

"I'm not sure if I'll remember it all, but I think that was it," Yuri said and laughed. "I'm not sure what happened but we found it."

"Yes, we did," Victor said and once again wrapped Yuri into a tight, embarrassing embrace. He whispered even softer than before into the available ear. "Would you listen to me for a moment?"

"Of course," Yuri said and placed his own hands on Victor's hips as they pulled apart. "What's wrong?"

"I thought there was nothing wrong, at first. But there might actually be a whole a lot of something not right," he answered with a laugh. "If there was only one thing you could love in this world, what would it be?"

Yuri's eyebrows pulled together in confusion to the question he was asked. There was no way to only love one thing in the world. He had his family, his friends, his figure skating career, and he had Victor. There were too many possibilities to think he could only limit himself to one thing to love. Now one person, that might make things a little easier.

"I would love you," Yuri answered. He wanted to look away from the taller man's eyes. The only problem with looking away was the fact that he knew there was something much larger than a simple question occurring between them.

"And I would love you," Victor said. He moved fast to pull Yuri's face towards his own for a heavy kiss. As they shared their first kiss, Victor took hold of his partner's hand so their rings were touching.

They pulled apart slowly after their kiss and took in enough air to clear up their clouded minds. Yuri laughed and then tears fell from his eyes as he let his face collide against Victor's shoulder. Victor couldn't help but smile as Yuri cried gently against him. There was nothing wrong with his king surrendering to love.


End file.
